Workshops on "Women in Falconry" and "Protecting Falconry in North Africa (Al Maghreb) and the Levant (Bilad El- Sham)".

The Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) hosts a scientific conference on the future of falconry.

In cooperation with UNESCO, organized by the Emirates Falconers Club and The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF)

Abu Dhabi / 08 August 2021

The theme of the scientific conference, which will be hosted by the Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) in its next edition, focuses on “The Future of Falconry” through a series of specialized workshops, and celebrates the passage of more than 10 years since falconry received the most significant global recognition of its legitimacy and cultural richness, thanks to its registration in the November 2010 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The conference, which is being held in cooperation with UNESCO, is organized by the Emirates Falconers’ Club and The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), which includes in its membership 110 falconry clubs and institutions representing 90 countries, with a total of more than 75,000 falconers around the world.

The eighteenth edition of ADIHEX will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, The ruler’s representative in Al Dhafra region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, from 27 September to 3 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), organized by the Emirates Falconers Club, under the slogan " Sustainability and Heritage... A Reborn Aspiration".

H.E. Majid Ali Al Mansouri Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of ADIHEX, Secretary-General of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, President of The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), stressed that the informational workshops that make up the conference accompanying the exhibition represent an important step to enhance the capabilities of the countries participating in the falconry registration file at UNESCO, as well as for all falconry societies around the world alike. His Excellency pointed out that the common cultural heritage enhances understanding and peace among people and helps them achieve sustainable development, while at the same time ensures the transfer of knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another, in line with the effective UAE policy in spreading the culture of peace, tolerance and the value of coexistence.

The UAE is one of the first members of The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) through the membership of the Emirates Falconers’ Club. In appreciation of its significant and effective role in preserving human heritage and sustainable hunting, which in turn led to the most important achievements in the history of falconry by registering it in UNESCO and granting it the legality of practice, the founder of the Emirates Falconers Club, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was chosen as Honorary President of (IAF) in 2017.

For his part, Gary Timbrell, the CEO of the IAF, said that the Association has been attending ADIHEX since 2004, and witnessed remarkable development and broad growth over the past years.

He pointed out that, concurrently, and during the same period, The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) also grew and developed to include the membership of 90 countries in the year 2021, compared to 35 countries in 2004. Timbrell attributed this success mainly to the keenness of the Association's permanent presence in the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) with the encouragement of the Emirates Falconers Club.

He added, "On many occasions during the past editions, ADIHEX has been a center for the annual meetings of The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), as is the case in the next edition (ADIHEX2021). Over the years, the exhibition has hosted many successful conferences about falconry and ways to preserve it, which directly helped us contribute to the consolidation of the pioneering initiatives of the United Arab Emirates, foremost of which is the registration of falconry in UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

As for this year's conference, Timbrell revealed that officials and volunteers from The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) from 20 countries, will supervise the dialogue platforms and run specialized workshops, including: "Women in Falconry", "How to benefit from the means of communication." “Protecting Falconry in North Africa (Al Maghreb)” and “Protecting Falconry in the Levant (Bilad El- Cham).”

At the end of the conference, the results of all these workshops will be linked in a final seminar under the title "The Future of Falconry", through which everyone who wishes to participate in the exhibition will be encouraged to take an important and effective role in this regard.

It is noteworthy that in 2018, H.E. Majid Ali Al Mansouri Secretary-General of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, was elected President of the The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) by a majority of members at the end of the General Assembly held in Bamberg, Germany, after he had been elected to the position of Vice President of the Association for the Middle East and North Africa in 2015. The Emirates Falconers’ Club joined the Association in December 2003, shortly after its founding, which came in September 2001.

Eleven countries participated in the procedures for registering falconry at UNESCO from 2006 to 2010 and preparing the joint file under the supervision of the UAE, in addition to Saudi Arabia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Korea, Morocco, Spain, Syria, Qatar, and Mongolia. Austria and Hungary joined the file in 2012. In 2016, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan joined. In 2019, Poland, Croatia, Netherlands, and Slovakia requested to join the registration process. Thus, the number of countries participating in the falconry file has doubled in 10 years, to reach today 22 countries. More countries are expected to join in the coming years. 

Since 2005, the UAE has continuously made persistent international efforts to make the registration process successful, thanks to the concerted efforts of many authorities and institutions concerned with heritage and culture, at the forefront of which are the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism and the Emirates Falconers’ Club. This resulted in the registration of falconry at UNESCO, with a wide cultural, social, and touristic return.

- For more information:

Ranim Shehade / EFC

00971 – 2 – 6934444 / ext. 370

pr@adihex.com